Life In A Dream
by 6Nayru6
Summary: OoT... The battle took her there, and now she must find her way back out.
1. Chapter 1

_No one believed me._

_This nightmare is far more than that; I don't know how yet, but I know it foretells tragedy. Father insists that he is far too busy to listen to the ramblings of his eleven year old daughter. Apparently, we are expecting an envoy from the Gerudo tribe to arrive shortly. My heart inexplicably twists in anxiety._

…

The girl awoke with a start.

Confused, she tried to remember what it was that had awoken her so suddenly. Was it something from a dream? And the more she thought of it, the less she could remember of her nighttime visions at all. Dread dwelled like a weight in the pit of her stomach, while the back of her right hand began to tingle, a strange habit that had recently developed.

She looked over at the clock… With four more hours to sleep, the girl cursed her insomnia. Rolling over onto her side, she willed away the bad feelings and fell back to sleep.

…

_I have seen him. Ganondorf. The man who will bring about the destruction of my fair Hyrule. When he was presented to me, my breath caught in my throat at the look in his yellow eyes; a look of lust for power and immense greed. A feeling of doom quickly stole through me as he bowed, a knowing smirk plastered on his face. I know that the dark storm clouds in my dream symbolize this man, but as of yet, he hasn't shown anything but amiability towards my father. Because of my unwillingness to keep my suspicions to myself, Father forbade me from attending the council meeting later, something he never does as he values my opinions above all others… But never mind._

_Maybe I'll suggest a stroll in the gardens to Impa; there are always ways to escape her eye, and she herself was the best teacher. I believe the milk delivery is expected today, so the guards should be sufficiently distracted as well. If I remember correctly, there should be a window in the courtyard that looks into the throne room._


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N**_

_**Thanks to all the favorites! ^_^ I was really nervous about my first story… But here's (a slightly longer) Chapter 2! **_

_**Disclaimer: Zelda is the property of Nintendo; much of the dialogue in this chapter is straight from the game for accuracy, and belongs to Shigeru Miyamoto and the Zelda franchise. Game script provided by .**_

…

Eyelids heavy with exhaustion, the girl slammed her hand down on the snooze button. How was it that she felt MORE tired than before? It felt as though she had a run a marathon through her dreams.

With a delicate sigh, she pulled herself out of bed. Still confused with sleep, it was hard to recognize her surroundings, and she made three failed attempts at finding the light switch. 'Why do mornings have to be so hard?' she wondered grumpily. After finally gaining full consciousness, the girl threw on a dress and shoes, grabbed a bagel and water bottle, and was out the door.

The subway was crowded as ever that morning, and personal space was something from a fairytale. Wedged in between a large man with an enormous mustache and two elementary school boys, the girl, unlike her fellow passengers, seemed unperturbed by the lack of space. Her attention was focused, instead, on a small pocket mirror she held in her hands. Attempting to get her long gold hair to cooperate, she couldn't stop from thinking how easy it would be just to cut it off. A picture of her holding the scissors and cut hair triumphantly came to mind, but she quickly pushed it away. She instead settled to braid it neatly down her back, tossing the end away from her shoulder in distaste. Lacing her fingers together, she took a calming breath and watched the landscape go by.

"HYRULE!" a voice cried. Images of endless fields of dark green grass and forests flooded her mind, the girl just focusing on the castle in the distance when she snapped back to reality. With a shake of her head the girl turned to look at the young boy sitting next to her who was laughing triumphantly. "I said 'I RULE!'" he repeated to his sulking friend, waving the winning card in his face. It took the rest of the ride to calm her heart, until finally, the girl exited the train.

Her feet moving of their own accord, the girl found herself in front of a small antique building with gold lettering that read "Lost in Time: Your Ancient Clocks and Timepieces Authority". A young woman with unruly red hair hurried past her, "Come on Ella, we have a meeting this morning!" Ella straightened her skirt and followed the woman inside.

The meeting was, as all meetings are by a general rule, extremely long and incredibly dull. Ella, however, experienced a certain highpoint within, when, as an intern, her opinion was asked from the Board of Executives in a new marketing procedure. Apparently, they had heard of her wisdom in the business, and wished to test it out. She passed. A satisfied smile playing at her lips, Ella made her way back to her cubicle, ready for another full day's work.

When the sun hung low in the sky, Ella found herself on the now abandoned subway. A man in the corner had set up a makeshift pawn shop and was busy asking passerby if they had anything to sell. With nothing but her purse on her, Ella dropped her spare change on his box and boarded the train home.

Bed, more than usual, was calling to her. Twenty minutes after walking in the door, Ella was already sliding beneath the covers. Her body relaxed gratefully, and she drifted off to sleep.

…

_He is an extremely quiet boy. Not that I know much about them, but he at least seems quiet to me. But… I believe he can save my land._

_While I was in the courtyard, secretly "observing" the council meeting, I heard soft footfalls behind me. Expecting Impa to be standing there ready to scold me, I was caught off guard at the sight of a young boy in green. To be quite honest, I was more than alarmed. I rarely had contact with children my own age, and this boy had single-handedly evaded all of my guards patrolling the gardens. And then there was the sword and shield strapped to his back… What could a boy not much older than myself need with such dangerous weapons? But something about his blue eyes disarmed me._

"_Who? Who are? How did you get past the guards?" He smiled, a boyish smile, and opened his mouth to speak, when a little orb of light with wings began to circle my face. _

"_Oh? What's that?" I asked with a laugh as the orb continued to circle me. Realization dawned with the force of a hurricane, "Is that… a fairy?" My excitement mounting, I never gave him a chance to reply. "Then, are you… Are you from the forest?" My mind was reeling as he gave a confused little nod. "Then… then… you wouldn't happen to have…" was it too much to hope, "the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, would you? That green and shining stone… Do you have it?" Heart racing, hands clasped tightly, I waited for him to answer._

"_Uh, yea, I do," he affirmed in a meek voice. _

_Overjoyed, I clapped my hands together, ready for someone to finally believe me. I couldn't stop the smile that was rapidly spreading across my face. He was here, really here!_

"_Just as I thought!" I exclaimed to his bewilderment._

"_I had a dream… In the dream, dark storm clouds were billowing over the land of Hyrule… But suddenly, a ray of light shot out of the forest, parted the clouds and lit up the ground… The light turned into a figure holding a green and shining stone, followed by a fairy…" Everything was finally fitting together._

"_I know this is a prophecy that someone would come from the forest… Yes, I thought you might be the one…"_

_A little cough brought me out of my reverie. The boy was standing there sheepishly, running a hand through his sandy blonde hair._

"_Oh, I'm sorry! I got carried away with my story and I didn't even properly introduce myself! I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule," I added with a smile. Relief stole across the boy's face._

"_What is your name?" I asked._

"_Uh, me?" he asked with a little jump, "It's Link, princess, my name is Link." He smiled at me once again, and I found myself smiling back. _

"…_..Link… Strange it sounds somehow… familiar…" _

"_I was sent here, ya know? The guardian of the forest sent me to find you! The Great Deku Tree, he was cursed, and I had to go inside him, and kill this big spider thing, but then he died anyways, and everyone blamed me, and I met this awful owl that wouldn't stop talking, and…" he trailed off, blushing at his rambling. Again I began to laugh. Somehow, Link was making me feel like a normal girl, a girl with friends and sunshine, and no frightening dreams of dark clouds._

"_Ok then, Link… I'm going to tell you the secret of the Sacred Realm that has been passed down by the Royal Family of Hyrule. Please keep this a secret from everyone…" And then I found myself explaining the legend of the creation of the earth by the goddesses, and the sacred relic known as the Triforce that they left behind. I explained how in order to open the gate to the Sacred Realm, one would first have to gather all three Spiritual Stones, as well as the Ocarina of Time, which I kept in my own possession._

"_Did you understand well the story I just told you?" Face screwed up in concentration, Link nodded. I heaved a sigh of relief. _

"_That's great!"_

"_But princess, what does this have to do with me?" Link asked, when sounds from the council meeting began to drift out of the window, reminding me of the man I had come to observe. A wave of nausea hit me as I thought of the man's horrible yellow eyes. My smile began to fade and Link's face began to show signs of concern._

"_I forgot to tell you…" I began, dread creeping in, "I was spying through this window just now… The other element from my dream… the dark clouds… I believe they symbolize… that man in there! Will you look through the window at him?" Link shook his head anxiously. _

"_Please! If you don't hurry he'll be gone!"_

"_Fine," he said, and with a giant exhale, he stepped up to the window._

_As soon as Link peered into the window, his face hardened into a look so fierce, I could scarcely understand how one so young could feel such emotions._

"_Can you see the man with the evil eyes? That is Ganondorf, the leader of the Gerudos. They hail from the desert far to the west."_

"_That's… That's the man from my dream," Link admitted darkly._

"_Though he swears allegiance to my father, I am sure he is not sincere. The dark clouds that covered Hyrule in my dream… They must symbolize that man!"_

_Link suddenly moved away from the window, almost tripping over me in the process._

"_What happened? Did he see you?" Eyes downcast, Link was shaking, either with fear or loathing I could not tell._

"_Yea.."_

"_Don't worry. He doesn't have any idea what we're planning… yet!" Confusion back in his eyes, Link turned to face me._

"_Um, and what, exactly, ARE we planning?" he asked._

"_Isn't it obvious? We're going to get to the Triforce before he can!"_

"_Us? But no offense, we're just kids… Wouldn't your father rather take care of it? Have you told him?" My heart sank._

"…_.Yes, I told my father about the dream.. However, he didn't believe it was a prophecy… But… I can sense that man's evil intentions, can't you?" Link nodded._

"_What Ganondorf is after must be nothing less than the Triforce of the Sacred Realm. He must have come to Hyrule to obtain it! And, he wants to conquer Hyrule… no, the entire world!" No longer able to contain my distress, tears began to prick at my eyes. A warm hand came to rest on my head, and Link gave a little smile._

"_He won't get anywhere with us around! Just tell me what to do."_

_As Impa taught Link my lullaby, my heart stirred inexplicably in my chest. I knew then that we could save the world. He smiled and waved back at me before disappearing with her… My lullaby now had new meaning._


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey ya'll! Sorry it took so long, but here's Chapter 3! It's a bit shorter, so have fun!**

…

_The castle is on fire; my father is dead. Ganondorf has taken over._

_It should have been a joyous night. I had just received word from the King of the Zoras that Link had finally retrieved the Spiritual Stone of Water. After a month of waiting, we would be able to open the doors to the Sacred Realm. And after a month of waiting, Link would be back, a thought that sent my stomach into pleasant butterflies. I had barely had a wink of sleep since I had sent him off._

_What-ifs and worst case scenarios haunted me even in waking. 'What will happen to Hyrule if he fails?' I found my thoughts going constantly astray. Some nights I awoke screaming, the image of his smiling blue eyes staring up lifelessly permanently burned into my mind. When I heard of his success, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding._

_But my relief was short-lived._

_As the sun was setting, Ganondorf entered the throne room unannounced. Before the guards could even blink, the king was dead, his smile of welcome frozen to his trusting face._

"_PAPA!" I screamed in grief. My vision went blurry with the tears ready to fall. _

"_No, no, Papa, please, don't leave me alone!"I continued to scream as Impa rushed to my side and managed to smuggle me out of the room. I choked back sobs. My father would never be there to advise, encourage, or love me again; I felt something shatter within me._

_Everything remained blessedly hazy as Impa dashed through the castle, me securely on her back. As screams erupted from all over the palace, I realized the true magnitude of what was happening. Hyrule had been usurped. Guards were running frantically in all directions, shouting orders that constantly contradicted each other, while the nobles were systematically hunted down. Impa pushed on._

_We managed to make it to the stables when he caught up to us._

"_Silly princess, you thought you could out-smart me? You can never escape. You have only one choice, join me, or join your father… He is waiting!" he threatened with a maniacal smile. Impa did not pause and as the bright flash erupted in front of his face, he emitted an enraged howl that would scare even the most fortified person. But, in his distraction, we managed to saddle a horse and bolt from the building. Seconds later we heard hoof beats on the cobblestone behind us. "You can run princess, but I will always HUNT YOU DOWN!" Ganondorf shouted in fury._

_We continued to gallop frantically through town, narrowly avoiding my terrified subjects. 'What will become of them?' I wondered in trepidation, 'How can I abandon them?' But then I would glance behind me at the demon pursuing us and knew that in order to protect them, I would have to survive. It was then that I realized with horror that the sun had already set; the gates were closed. We were trapped, and my heart froze with fear._

_And just as quickly as the fear came, it went away. Knowledge hitherto untapped flowed through my veins and a tingling warmth spread from my heart to my fingertips. I raised my arms in supplication to the Goddesses. The warmth intensified and just as we neared the gate was concentrated in an aura of light that brought it crashing down. _

"_Well done, Zelda," praised Impa as we fled the city. But there, eyes wide in confusion, was Link._

"_Princess!" he yelled as we approached. His face was rent up with concern; he seemed torn between following me and protecting me from what was chasing me. _

"_Link… Link, please, protect the Triforce!" I gasped as we passed, "And then, find me!" With a cry of despair I flung my ocarina into the moat, hoping against hope that we could both survive and meet again. I glanced back at him as Ganondorf emerged from the gate, and a look of resolve took over his body. He seemed to nod at me before turning to face the demon with the yellow eyes._

"_NOOO!" I shouted in disbelief as he was hit with the ball of magic, "LINK!"_

_Just then we passed over a hill and the town was out of sight, and I knew not what had become of my hero._

"_Believe Princess, we must believe in him. All of our fates now rest in that boy's hands," soothed Impa._

_And so I, the refugee princess, escaped._

…

Ella awoke, tears still flowing, at her desk. Panic arose when she couldn't recognize her surroundings, still immersed in a dream she could not remember. When had this gaping hole of loneliness opened up? As though heated by an unseen fire, Ella was sweating, even though the room was comfortably breezy.

Glancing out the window, she was startled when the sky revealed to her a beautiful cloudless sky. A confused pair of eyes swam across her vision and were just as quickly gone again. She wasn't sure where it came from, but as she settled back in her chair, she found herself involuntarily whispering a name…

"Link…"


	4. Chapter 4

Ella was going crazy. Or maybe she already was. But regardless, she knew that something was desperately wrong.

You see, normal people don't hallucinate.

All morning Ella had been seeing things; well, one thing in particular. A man, to be more exact.

That morning she had awoken as normal and started her daily routine. When she had wiped the fog from her mirror after her shower, she let out a scream of terror. There, reflected in the mirror, was a man standing behind her. Soft, blonde hair ruffled in a nonexistent wind, while a handsome face contorted into a pained expression, blue eyes sparkling. But when Ella turned to confront him, he was gone. Startled and heart beating frantically, Ella tried desperately to calm herself, finally writing it off as a trick of the lighting.

Things escalated as Ella entered the subway station that morning. She saw him in the security guard at the gates and the man with his makeshift pawn shop. He haunted her in the reflections of windows and his shadow followed her over the tiles. The confused, pained expression never left his face as his eyes stalked her everywhere.

Ella fell to the ground, clutching her side, beginning to hyperventilate. A worried crowd gathered around her and man tried to help her up from the tiles. But as he touched her shoulder, she screamed and ran up the steps and out onto the street.

Everything was silent but for the pounding rain that instantly soaked Ella to the bone. The same street that had been bustling with activity only minutes before was completely empty. And there, just in front of her, was the blonde-haired man. He began to walk slowly towards her, one hand outstretched to her as Ella was frozen to the spot with fear.

He stopped just in front of her, the rain coming down around them unable to touch his shining countenance. The man once again reached out his hand to her.

"Please," supplicated a musically masculine voice.

Ella felt her heartbeat calm as she met his gaze, his eyes boring into her soul. She found her hand raising of its own accord to place itself in his. A sharp jolt of electricity accompanied the contact and a surge of recognition filled her.

"Link?" she asked slowly.

The man's face relaxed and lit up with a beatific smile. Ella collapsed.

…

_And then he's there. I know I must be dreaming, but hope bubbles in my throat and becomes almost tangible as I walk through the haze towards his sleeping form. Hope that maybe this time, he will finally open his eyes._

_For seven years I have had this same dream. I close my eyes and am suddenly standing in an ethereal world of gold, white, and sunshine. Silence prevails over all but the slight sound of deep breathing. As I would make my way towards the singular sound, a curled figure would appear through the haze, lying on what I could only assume was the ground; the sleeping body of my hero. In my first dream, I ran to him with childlike joy, and threw myself on the ground beside him. I tried to speak, to yell, to say his name, to laugh, but even when my mouth formed the words, nothing ever came out. I could not speak in this dream world, and I found myself crying, knowing I could not wake him from this sleep. I would gaze at my friend's face, young as my own, imagining he would wake any second and his blue eyes would crease into a smile at the sight of me. But he never did._

_As the years passed and my sleep should have become troubled with the horrors I had witnessed, I still found refuge in that strange, silent, golden world. And with each passing year I watched him age as I did. At first it was just subtle changes, like the tightness of his tunic and the fair stubble forming on his chin. My hair grew long and wild, his grew shaggy and soft; I became of fragile build and he grew to what would have easily been a head taller than me while standing. One night I arrived to find that his clothes had been changed to that of a hero. Bare arms and legs were replaced by sturdy leather gauntlets and coarse white leggings, and the collar from a stiff undershirt now reached to his chin. _

_It became my only comfort in that terrifying world to sit at his side, never speaking, never touching, watching his peaceful face gradually lose its childishness and become sharper, more angular. I noticed daily how his shapely arms were developing strong cords of muscle and how his chest became broader, taut with pure physical strength. Calluses formed on his long fingers and his lashes grew dark against his pale cheek. Still I never dared to even brush the hair from his eyes. _

_My waking world was quickly becoming a nightmare. Not satisfied with the complete annihilation of the Royal Family, Ganondorf brought his fury down on the innocent heads of the people, and the remaining people of Castle Town were brutally massacred. Only the walking dead inhabited my once fair city now. I received urgent messages for assistance from the Gorons, who were desperately trying to fight off an ancient demon that threatened to devour their race. Word had also reached me that the Zoras had been frozen beneath what was once their home, and I tasted bitterness at my past hopes. One day, Impa decided it was her duty to guard the Shadow Temple, and seeing as I could easily take care of myself, quickly left for Kakariko with all due haste. _

_I was alone, and I set aside my tattered gown and crown and became Shiek. That night I cried myself to sleep._

_Later in my dream I ran tearfully to Link's side, my skirts, no longer abandoned, ruffling behind me. I plopped unceremoniously to the ground beside him and wiped my eyes. The urge to feel his pulse, to gauge his breath, to know that he was really ALIVE overcame me. Hesitantly, I brushed my fingertips against his cheek, admiring the sudden warmth that raced up my arm. Looking around for someone that I knew would never appear, I carefully lifted his head from the ground and placed it gingerly in my lap. I found my fingers running through his impossibly soft hair; his scent overwhelmed me and I traced the curve of his jaw with one shaking fingertip. "When did you become so beautiful?" I thought to myself as I longed to hear his voice._

_And, still seeking comfort, the dream ended that night with me snuggled against him, the beating of his heart a comforting lullaby._

_Now, as predictable as the sun rises and sets, I am here again. I take my place at his side and again gently lift his head onto my lap as I have done every night since my nightmares became real. Once again, the tears begin to fall, and I let out a sob that echoes through the empty space. Echoes… I… Can hear._

_Before the fact fully registers, all of the troubles of the outside world come spilling out of me. I talk for what seems like hours, filling Link in on even the minutest of details. I describe going into hiding and Ganondorf's unrelenting pursuit of me. I lament over losing Impa's comforting presence and how lonely I am even when awake. I tell him how on the day the Triforce had appeared on my hand I had thought that he had finally come back and like a silly child, had insisted to Impa that I go to bed before the sun set so that I could check. _

"_Link, please, you have to come back," I whisper as tears again threaten to spill, "I… I need you." I feel his pulse quicken and as a lone tear hits his cheek he lets out a soft sigh. His eyelids begin to flutter and I can't help but gasp as he stirs. I find his head lifting from my lap and my eyes widen in shock. With a grunt, Link sits up, rubbing his head in his hands. My breathing quickens and his ears perk up. _

_Link whips his head around and I am startled to find myself looking into the blue eyes I had almost forgotten, sparkling in their innocence. My heart flutters inexplicably in my chest. Shock overwhelms his features._

"_Zelda?" he asks, reaching toward me. Through the tears a little laugh escapes me. I reach for him, but notice that his body is losing substance, slowly dissolving in front of me._

"_Zelda?" he yells, becoming frantic in his efforts to reach me, realizing that his fingertips pass right through mine. As he disappears, I reluctantly retract my hand and smile gently._

"_We'll meet again," I state simply. Link's face relaxes and he seems to nod as he fades away completely._

_I wake with a start to find Rauru, the Sage of Time, standing over my makeshift bed._

"_It is time, Princess."_

_Wordlessly, I gather my things and disappear in a column of light. _


End file.
